Posted on 07/11/2008 12:19:50 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama will be using the National Council of La Raza convention, which begins tomorrow in San Diego, as a platform for courting the increasingly significant Latino vote.
Convention organizers hope to press the senators for answers on some of the thorniest issues affecting Latinos, among them immigration policies and solutions to the nation's health insurance and mortgage crises.
This week, as they prepared to participate in the four-day event at the San Diego Convention Center, some local groups said they were optimistic about what they would hear from the candidates and in convention sessions, while others said they wished even more issues that resonate in Latino communities were being addressed.
Volunteers from the MAAC Project, a social service organization that deals with housing, were among those preparing for a free home clinic Sunday.
While the mortgage crisis is being felt across the country, Latino homeowners have been hit especially hard, with some immigrant families duped into risky subprime loans who have fallen behind on adjustable-rate mortgages.
“In Chula Vista, I can tell you from personal experience that all of a sudden you have abandoned homes,” said MAAC Project CEO Antonio Pizano, a resident of the city where Latinos make up more than half of the population. “Homes where people just moved on, either left them or were foreclosed on.”
The home clinic will provide free legal advice and counseling from financial experts to help families facing foreclosure find ways to hold on to their homes.
One of the larger free public convention events is a three-day “Latino Expo USA” beginning tomorrow that will feature more than 200 exhibitors, along with health, housing and job fairs. The convention, which celebrates the 40th anniversary of the national civil rights and advocacy organization, is expected to draw more than 20,000 people.
As they packed up this week to take their mobile clinic to the health fair for free blood pressure and HIV screenings, staff members at the San Ysidro Health Center said they continue to see a lack of access to and lack of knowledge about health services in Latino neighborhoods.
“Right here in San Ysidro, we were told by the school district that they know of a lot of kids that do not have coverage, but are eligible,” community relations director Ana Melgoza said. The health center provided two case studies to NCLR for a report on how the lack of health insurance affects Latino children, to be released Sunday.
Reforming the nation's health care system will be the topic of a town-hall meeting Sunday afternoon, with representatives from the McCain and Obama campaigns participating.
“There is something very wrong out there in the system when you have Latinos not only working one job, but two jobs, and still not being able to get access to health insurance,” NCLR President Janet Murguía said.
The candidates' advisers are expected to detail how the rivals intend to tackle the health insurance crisis, Murguía said. But the most anticipated details, she said, entail what the candidates intend to do about revamping the immigration system. Obama will be speaking at the convention Sunday, and McCain on Monday. McCain, who once championed legislation calling for a temporary-worker program and a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants, altered that position and spoke of focusing on border enforcement as he pursued the Republican nomination.
However, during this week's national convention of the League of United Latin American Citizens in Washington, D.C., he told audience members that he would pursue wide-ranging changes in immigration law “practically and humanely.”
McCain's positions on immigration have cost him support from conservatives – local anti-illegal immigration activists plan to protest Monday when he speaks – and Latinos have not flocked to his camp this summer. A Gallup poll released this week showed 62 percent of Latino voters supporting Obama.
Latinos are an important political demographic. For example, nearly a third of Californians are Latino, and the population continues to grow here and in many other states.
During the convention, the pressure will be on both candidates to build on what they've stated to other Latino organizations recently, Murguía said.
“Everybody is seeking more clarity and specifics from both candidates,” she said. “The time for rhetorical flourishes is over. We want to hear specifics.”
Jorge Mariscal, director of the Chicano Studies program at the University of California San Diego, said he would like to see the candidates, as well as NCLR, take a stand on some issues affecting the Latino community that are not widely addressed, including the Iraq war and intensive military recruitment within minority communities.
“They should be talking about all other sorts of options, like access to higher education, which they don't do enough,” said Mariscal, a Vietnam veteran who will be participating in the convention as part of Project YANO, a local group that stresses non-military options for youth.
NCLR, along with other national Latino organizations, supported the DREAM Act, proposed legislation that would have given conditional legal status to undocumented youth if they attended two years of college or served two years in the military.
Murguía and Mariscal said they would like to see the candidates address issues such as the recent immigration-enforcement sweeps that have led to record deportations, often dividing families.
“There are different ways we can enforce our laws,” Murguía said. “What about the employers? They are able to turn around after these major raids and say they are open for business.”
I can’t wait for the McCainiac’s play-by-play.
I love the line about access to “higher education” line. We all have the same access, you just have to pay for it like everyone else. Every special group wants a free ride.
“Secessionists for XXXXX!” There's a slogan.
No. LULAC is the NAACP for hispanic people. La Raza is more like MECHA or Nation Of Islam.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MEChA
I’m sorry, but my candidate doesn’t speak to racists.
( hope to press the senators for answers on some of the thorniest issues affecting Latinos, among them immigration policies and solutions to the nation’s health insurance and mortgage crises. )
And here I thought these issues affected all AMERICANS.
Maybe these people do nt consider themselves to be Americans.
Maybe that is there biggest problem.........
McLame is filthy f’ing POS - voting for him is worse than not voting at all. McLame hates conservatives and more importantly conservative Chrisitans. His wife was born into incredible money - is extremely elitist and thinks that illegals should have the same rights as American citizens. He is very much influenced by her.
Ask yourself a question re. McCain - can he be trusted? Of course Obama cant but because of that we can coalesce and fight him the liberals on a united front. If McCain loses there will be a drive to remove him from his senate seat - he is not liked in Arizona. He barely won that state eventhough he has been a senator there for a very long time.
“immigrant families duped into risky subprime loans”
I lerned to rite reel good in jernalism skool.
Obama + McRINO = The pathetic state of both political parties. They will both be there to pander, patronize and suck up to countless illegals. Might be a good idea for the ICE folks to attend and arrest those who are “in the shadows.” The Great OZ has Spoken.
“So I take it that La Raza is the NAACP for hispanic folks?”
The difference being that at least the NAACP represents Americans. La Raza is not only a race group, it also pushes the interests of foreign nationals.
The answer is NO.
So I take it that La Raza is the NAACP for hispanic folks?
No, it’s the Aryan Nation for Hispanics.
I like your tag-line! I agree with it wholeheartedly.
You know we’re stuck with 2 dead-beats this year. One’s worse than the other of course. At least with McCain due to his age, he’ll probably serve only 1 term. Whereas Obama will likely serve 2 terms (8 long years) plus a potential successor.
You know the media will cover for Obama even if half the US erupted into flames — they’ll just blame it on Bush. So the best move is to vote for McCain.
Aztlan, a claim of La Raza’s members, includes Arizona.
McCain’s complicity with La Raza and its tenets means he is not a citizen of America, but Aztlan, thus no longer qualified to be President.
Adios Juanito!
Aztlan, a claim of La Raza’s members, includes Arizona.
McCain’s complicity with La Raza and its tenets means he is not a citizen of America, but Aztlan, thus no longer qualified to be President.
Adios Juanito!
Leslie Berestein interviewed me 2 years ago about Chicano Park in San Diego.
I guess she’s the “go-to gringa” for Latino Affairs.
A speech given on a Saturday to soften the media impact yet check the block with La Raza- not that it will work.
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